Portable illuminated sign



Aug. 24, 193 7.

H. R. VAN DEVENTER ET AL 2,090,989

PORTABLE ILLUMINATED SIGN Filed June 20, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORN EYA g- 24, 1 7- H. R. VAN DEVENTER ET AL 2,090,989 PORTABLE ILLUMINATEDSIGN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 20, 1935 FzlyzZ.

INVE HFRR Y Rwy/952mm TER ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 24, 1937 PATENT OFFICE& 2,090,989 ron'rnnm muma'run SIGN Harry B. Van Deventer and John J.Shiveiy, New York, N. Y., assignora'by mesne assignments, to ServiceDevices, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication June 20, 1935, Serial No. 27,488

Claims. (01. 40-132) This invention relates to illuminated signs, andmore particularly to such signs of the portable type which can bereadily carried from place to place and used for window displays and thelike.

'An, object of the invention is to provide a portable sign of the typedescribed which is entirely self-contained including a suitable sourceof energy for operating the sign.

Another object is to providea sign of this type in which batteries areused as a source of current supply and wherein the said batteries can beremoved and replaced without the necessity of disconnecting wirestherefrom.

A further object is to provide a sign of this type in which agaseoustube, such-as a neon tube for example, is used and operated-byalternating or interrupted current obtained from a source and meansforming part of the complete sign unit and movable therewith.-

Other objects will be apparent from the fol- 2 lowing specification, inwhich a preferred type ofsign embodying the invention isdescribed by wayof illustration.

The invention consists substantiallyin the construction, combination,location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fullyhere- I inafter set forth and as shown by the accompany ing drawings andfinally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear view of a sign embodyi g the invention with the backremoved; 7

Figure 2 is a view, partly in cross section, on the line 22, Figure 1;and

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the wiring of the sign, Figures 1.and 2. i

In the copending appllcationfierial No. 19,039,

filed April 30, 1935, is described a Sign of the general character ofthat herein disclosed except the I aforesaid application discloses apower operated sign designed for use with 110 volt alternating currentand adapted tobe connected to an ordinary lighting circuit via the cordand plug shown. The present invention distinguishes from the poweroperated sign aforesaid in that it does not.

require connection to a' power circuit, but is entirely self-contained,the source of energy for operating the sign being enclosed within theeasing thereof. This eliminates the plug and cord and all externalconnections and enables the .sign to be carried about while illuminated,and has many other advantages. 7 It will be understood, however,that-this improved sign employs a gaseous tube as a source of light andin external appearance is similar to the signdescribed in the aforesaidcopending application.

The numeral Ill denotes a front casing or frame preferably of insulatingmaterial such as bakellte. Within this frame is supported thetransparent panel or glass it and in the rear thereof is positioned thegrid i2 formed of a piece of neon tubing or the like, forming a gaseoustube adapted to glow when the terminals thereof are connected to a.suitable source of current.

Panel I can be omittedand the grid l2 and reflector l3 to be presentlydescribed, mounted within. the casing [0. When this is'done any suitablemedium, such as a. stencil or perforated plate, can be used in front ofthe grid to form the sign proper. The panel It or any other mediumplaced in frontof the grid is hereinafter termed sign indicia.

Immediately behind said grid and partially supported thereby is locatedthe reflector l3, held in place and pressed outwardly by the resilientstrips ll of sponge rubber or the like, which are supported on themounting plate l5 secured to and partially closing the rear of the frameill,

except for the apertures I5a, lib, I50, to provide for ventilation tothe interior of the casing.

All of the foregoing assembly is practically the same as that shown inthe copending application pended claims wherein these elements areclaimed in combination with the new anduseful elements hereinafterdisclosed.

The mounting plate any suitable manner, a transformer having a primarywinding l6 and a secondary winding il the latter being connecteddirectly to the terminals of the grid l2, as shown in Figure 3.

The vprimary I6 is connected to an interrupter generally indicated bythe numeral it applied to the base thereof to indicate that theinterrupter may, if desired, be madeon a base and removable as a unitfrom the mounting plate l5. This interrupter maybe of any desiredtypegeither a vibrating device as shown, a thermionic device, acommutator whereby a true reversalof polarity is obtained or any otherdevice, severalof which are known, that will modify the. direct-:currentt5 has secured thereto in I output from a suitable source of energy'suchas I the batteries 28 so that it will, via the transformer windings i6,i1, operate the gaseous tubeor grid l2 and illuminate the same.

The interrupter unit shown here merely as illustrative of such a-device,comprises a base I8 upon which is insulatedly supported in any suitablemanner the reed I! having an armature 2|! adapted to be attracted by thecore 2| of an electromagnet, the winding 22 of which is in series withthe contacts 23, one of which moves with reed l5.

Another set of contacts 24 controls the circuit through the primary itof the transformer, as shown in Figure 3. A switch 25 is mounted on anextension 26 carried on the plate l5 and projects through an opening inthe back 21 which can therefore be removed from the front l withoutdisturbing any of the wiring or apparatus as nothing is secured thereto.This switch is in series with the battery comprised of the cells 28, asmany as necessary being employed.

The first cell.28a of the battery is provided with a contact member 29insulatedlymounted on plate l and adapted to automatically contact withand engage one of the terminals of the cell. A support 30 is alsoprovided and insulated from 4 plate l5.

Each succeeding cell 28 is provided with a simi-.

' lar independently insulated contact member 29a and an independentsupport 30 insulatedly mounted on the plate IS.

The contact members 29a and supports 30 are connected as shown in Figure1 and all the cells 28a, 28 are therefore in series between the firstcontact member 29 and the last support 30a.

The first contact member 29 is connected to the primary winding it ofthe transformer and to the electromagnet winding 22 of the interrupter.

The last support 30a is connected to the switch 25, all as shown inFigures 1 and 3.

The members 29, 29a and 30, 30a, have suilicient tension to permit thebattery cells to be securely gripped in operative position. Should it benecessary to replace a cell, it is merely pulled out of its support andanother forced into position. This obviates all wire connections and theuse of tools and is a change that can be successfully performed by themost unskilled.

In operation, the switch 25 being closed, current flows from terminal30a of the battery 28 through contacts 23 to winding 22 of the vibratorand to terminal 2! of the battery 28a via conductor 3|.

As the reed l9 vibrates, due to the operation of the core 2i andcontacts 23, the circuit (from 30a via switch 25, contacts 24, conductor32, primary l6 and terminal 28 via conductor 33) is interrupted.Thisactuates the transformer, the secondary winding ll of which beingdirectly connected to the grid l2, causes the latter to glow.

Condensers 34, 35 are connected across the nary dry cells which can beobtained practically -70 everywhere, can be usedas a source of currentand are easily and cheaply replaced when ex- It will be sen from theforegoing that the inven'tion provides a unitary sign structurecomprising in a single portable casing, a glow tube adapted to form whatis in effect a sheet of neon glow illuminating the area of the glass I Iand all the necessary means for exciting said tube including a source ofdirect current and means (the interrupter) for utilizing this throughthe transformer to excite the glow tube.

It will also be noted that the output of the transformer, that is thevoltage of the secondary ll, may be 5,000 or more. This would be painfulif not dangerous to anyone coming in contact therewith. But by makingthe casing in and 21 of bakelite and completely enclosing all metalparts (the projecting parts of the switch 25 may be of insulatingmaterial) completesafety for the user is assured, for without removingthe back 21 the user cannot get in contact with any live parts of thedevice or any metal parts whatever.

Although the invention has been disclosed in connection with thespecific details of preferred embodiments thereof, it must be understoodthat such details are not intended to be limitative of theinventionexcept in so far as set forth in the accompanying claims.

'What is claimed is:

1. A portable sign comprising in combination, a source of electriccurrent, an interrupter in circuit therewith, a transformer having aprimary winding in circuit with said source and said interrupter, asecondary winding on said transformer, a gaseous tube grid connected tosaid secondary winding, a casing within which all of the aforesaidelements are mounted, a transparent panel in the front of said casing,means to position sign indicia in front of said panel, said gridengaging the inner face of said panel whereby said grid is adapted toilluminate said indicia when in operation, and resilient means urgingsaid grid against saidpanel.

ing a frame having a transparent panel closing the front thereof, saidpanel supporting sign indicia, a gaseous tube positioned behind saidindicia, a reflector behind said tube, resilient mounting means to presssaid reflector against said tube and said tube outwardly against saidpanel, a mounting plate supporting said resilient mounting means andadapted to partially close the back of.said frame, a plurality ofbattery cells mounted upon said plate, a transformer mounted on saidplate, and an interrupter mounted on said plate, said interrupter beingin series with said battery cells and the primary of said transformer,the secondary of said transformer being connected to the terminals ofsaid gaseous tube.

3. A portable signcomprising in combination,

' a source of electric current, a transformer having a primary windingin circuit with said source, a mounting plate upon which said source ofcurrent is insulatedly supported together with said transformer, aninterrupter in circuit with said source of electric current and saidprimary winding said interrupter having a base forming a unit therewithadapted to be mounted on said mounting plate, a secondary winding onsaid transformer, a gaseous tube connected to said secondary winding,and a casing of insulating material within which all of the aforesaidelements are mounted to permit the illumination of said tube to act as asign.

4. A portable sign comprising in combination, a source of electriccurrent, an interrupter in circuit therewith, a. transformer having aprimary winding in circuit with said' source and said interru r' ter,--asecondary winding on said transformer, a gaseous tube connected to saidsecondary winding, a casing of insulating material within which allofthe aforementioned elements are mounted, a metallic reflector positionedback of said gaseous tube and in contact therewith,- a resilientinsulating member tend ingto press said reflector in contact with said.tube, and-means comprising a mounting plate secured to said casing andholding said resilient insulating member in position, said transformerand interrupter being mounted on said plate.

5. A portable sign comprising in combination a casing having a frontopening therein, a transparent panel closing said front opening, agaseous tube positioned behind said panel and partially supportedthereby, a reflector behind said tube, resilient means in contact withsaid re- 3 flector, a mounting plate bearing against said resilientmeans, saidplate being secured to said casing and enclosing togethertherewith said tube and reflector, a source of electric current mountedwithin said casing, an interrupter in circuit with said source, atransformer having a primary winding in circuit withisaid source andsaid interrupter, of current and transformer being mountedon said plateand 'enclosedby said casing, a secondary winding on said transformerconnected to said gaseous tube,- and switch means having a portionextending outside said casing adapted to control said source of electriccurrent and connected in circuit with said source oi electric currentnsnnr a. vsnbum-ma. JOHN. smvnlY.

